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Dress like your bathroom M7969
OK! If you saw that blog post title and are getting worried just keep reading! When we were planning our new ensuite I fell in love with some floral hexie tiles I’d seen on a few home accounts including the mid-century modern kitchen of Amanda aka Modern June Cleaver.
Long story short, I got the floor I wanted but had to create the tile sheets myself. Hours of finger numbing work. It was all worth it though!
Flash forward and I’m happily shopping at Rainbow Fabrics when I spot this gorgeous floral print. It reminds me of the Marc Jacobs daisy and Kate Spade prints. And most importantly it reminded me of my lovely tiled floor!! The flowers are a soft beige and the fabric base is a poly challis.
I decided to make another puff sleeve M7969. Similar to my red and pink version using view B but this time added elastic to the hems in a channel to the cropped sleeves instead of shirring.
As you can see I also cut the front bodice on the fold and rounded the neckline. I still finished the neckline with bias binding but skipped the interfacing since that is included to stop the neckline stretching out on the v neck.
This is size M again but with 1cm taken out of each side seam. Given the slightly stiff fabric I thought it looked better slightly slimmed at the sides.
It’sfantastic how quickly this dress comes together. Especially when you round off the front! I made it in a few hours while at a sewing retreat with friends.
It’s a cute, eas- to-wear dress though the puff sleeves make it difficult to wear a cardigan on top. I still love it though! I’ll probably put this pattern to one side for now but sure I’ll return to it next year.
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Vampire’s Wife Butterick 6705
Hello hello! I’m in a very good mood today as Issue 101 of Love Sewing is on sale, and I’m in it! As former Love Sewing Editor it’s was so nice to be back in the pages of the magazine, to share a review for this lovely dress. My new column as Simplicity Brand Ambassador also begins in issue 101 so it’s two lots of Amy for the price of one this month! Butterick 6705 is one of the pattern gifts for the issue, provided in the full range of sizes. You can pick up a copy of the magazine at all good supermarkets or online at craftstash.co.uk
For my version of B6705 – this is view A but with a couple of small changes. I used the sleeve construction from view B but cut to mid-arm. And I used the skirt length of view C. Mixing and matching pattern elements is such a satisfying way to get the exact dress you like. Like many of us, I overindulged during lockdown and had the fear that an empire line dress might highlight my midriff weight gain but to my delight, this beautiful skirt skims over my lower half and flares out. It somehow also makes me feel much taller than I am. I was also inspired by the version by Dei in animal print who makes such elegant clothes.
Fitting wise my Bust Waist and Hip measurements are 36A : 33 : 45 so I made a size 12 in the upper body and graded from a 12 at the waist to 14 at the hip. I’m quite petite in my upper body with very narrow shoulders so I lowered the neckline by 2cm so it sat in the right place, and as I found the two-piece sleeves slightly too large, I removed 2cm along the overarm seam. 
The under bust construction forms a beautiful v shaped seam. My top tip is to pin each side individually and start sewing from the centre point out to the sides on each part of the seam. I’m also pleased to report you can customise the length of your keyhole so if you don’t want to reveal too much you can sew it a little further than the pattern notch. The front neckline is wrapped in visible binding and closes with a hook and eye fastener but you could choose to sew it closed with a continuous piece of binding or add a button loop.
This beautiful green and black floral is a deadstock viscose challis from rainbowfabrics.co.uk, who specialise in excess stock from fashion houses. But with great prices and limited quantities you have to act quick when shopping the website! With viscose challis being prone to stretching, it’s important to let your curved hem hang for 24 hours to allow for any drop in the fabric and then recut so it is level. Plus to aid my invisible zipper, I added a thin strip of interfacing to support the centre back seam during construction and wear to avoid the fabric stretching out in this important area. I’m making a video about getting a perfect match across a waist seam when using an invisible zipper that will go live soon.
My dress makes me feel like a James Bond femme fatale (who watched the latest movie?? MY GOSH). And at the same time, a model from fashion line Vampire’s Wife (whose dresses suit the name entirely). And though I can’t pull off a dreamy faraway stare, I feel very elegant in it.
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Bloom Explosion McCall’s 8008
Hello everyone! It’s a lovely crisp Autumn day here and I’m actually getting ready for a housewarming party!! We moved in January but have only just been able to arrange it. I’m excited to see everyone, show them the house and eat some good food.
Onto sewing related news and I finally finished my M8008 blouse. If you follow me on Instagram you may have seen I ran out of buttons but Vicky of Sewstainability came to my rescue and posted me more.
This blouse features Bishop sleeves with pintucks, sleeve head ruffles, a half stand collar, half button placket and back yoke. There’s also the option to add lace trim inserts to the front.
I used the most beautiful Lady McElroy fabric called Bloom Explosion. It was sent to me for free in exchange for a blog post and I was paid with additional fabric. You can get hold of some at Sherwood Fabrics.
It’s the softest viscose challis in brilliant colours. The pops of fuchsia and chartreuse are my favourite. And it washed and pressed nicely during construction.
Viscose is notoriously shifty so my giant cutting table was very handy. I used sharp pins and a fine needle to construct. I’m very pleased with the bottom of the placket given the floaty movement of the fabric.
The pintucks on my sleeves are beautiful but could be straighter though. The grain must have shifted as I marked the stitch lines. I also recommend hand basting everything you need to hold steady before you sew it. Eg the collar facing, the cuffs, etc.
I changed the cuffs to be half their depth. And let out the side seams a little. Other than that this is the size 12 with no alterations. It’s bold, romantic and a bit outside of my comfort zone. And I’m so pleased I made it!
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Queen of Hearts Vogue 9000
Hello all! As I write it’s a cold but bright Friday here in Yorkshire. I have plans to celebrate my anniversary this weekend (delayed since the summer, thanks Covid) and hosting a live stream sewalong on Instagram this Sunday for Simplicity. I’m making a S9240 sweatshirt live!! I need to ease myself back into live videos again! They were always so fun but moderately stressful. So let’s hope this one goes off without issues.
Now onto today’s make. Returning to a pattern sewn years ago can inspire you to do things differently the next time around. I have made Vogue 9000 before but always knew I would revisit it, as I love the grown-on sleeves and full panelled skirt. This design also features a flat collar and buttoned bodice that is finished with a front facing and a strip of bias binding at the back neckline. The dress also fastens with an underarm side seam zipper for a neat fit.
When I first made the dress in 2016 I sewed it in a luscious red John Kaldor microfibre. It was medium weight, glossy and a little stretchy (like cotton sateen) with the drape of polyester. I rounded off the corners of the contrast black collar and used black self-covered buttons on the front fastenings. It was a beautiful formal dress I wore to several events including a Christmas dinner dance.
For my latest version I wanted to use an Ecovera viscose – a sustainable method of producing viscose that follows stringent guidelines to ensure eco-responsibility. The viscose was from Rainbow Fabrics in London who specialise in deadstock and overstock fabric from fashion houses which is a nice way to avoid waste and make your sewing more sustainable. In this pretty, confetti-heart print, the dress is lighter weight and easier to wear than the John Kaldor version which is just what I hoped. I can wear it in Summer with sandals, and Winter with brogues and tights.
Once again, I decided to round off the collar points but this time also extend the collar so it finished right at the front edges. This was due to the fact I would very rarely wear the neckline fully buttoned. Also the notch where the collar meets the facing isn’t very pronounced if worn open. A seamless transition into the collar seemed to be worth pursuing. It reminds me of a sporty polo collar now. I’m pretty pleased with the finished look.
Choosing viscose for this pattern does introduce a few more considerations. I didn’t line the dress so I’ll wear a slip underneath when wearing tights. A sharp fine needle and pins are vital to avoid snagging the fabric, and a dab of fray check on the button holes provides extra security. The most important thing to remember is to allow your skirt hem to drop for at least 24hours after attaching to the bodice. As it is a full skirt, there are areas on the bias that will naturally stretch out. Once the fabric has dropped you can then recut the hem so that it is level before finishing. I use a vintage Newey chalk hem marker that allows you to puff a line of chalk at a set height as you rotate in your garment.
I wholeheartedly recommend Vogue 9000. The panelled skirt is great for narrow fabrics while still achieving a flowing full skirt. I love the double darts in the back for even shaping, and like how the front bodice darts extend into the skirt panel seams. It’s a beautiful vintage pattern where you can create a dress that is a true reproduction of the era, or add a modern spin on the silhouette with an updated fabric choice.
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Autumn M7969
Happy October everyone! It’s spooky season right? I’m already planning what pumpkin design to try this year after my super successful painted pumpkin with sewing theme illustrations.
Now onto what I’ve been making! Here is my new M7969 dress which you can buy here. When I finished my previous red and pink M7969 I knew I needed more of this pattern. I then very soon after picked up this gorgeous floral viscose from Rainbow Fabrics.
The falling blooms in orange and blush on the black base make me think of Autumn and even though I try to avoid wearing black, I knew it had to come home with me. All their fabric is deadstock or overstock from fashion houses and suppliers in London so you have to buy quickly if you like something. I’m glad I did as it’s now sold out, but take a look to see if you fall in love with another print.
For my second version of the dress I chose to try longer sleeves. I used view B again but cut the sleeve just below elbow length. I should have probably gone another couple of inches longer in hindsight but I’m pretty happy with this. I can wear a cardigan over the top easily but also show a little bit of skin when I choose. With oversized dresses like this I think they suit me best when you can see my arms OR I cut to knee length.
The dress goes together so smoothly and with the multi directional print I could easily get the dress out of 2metres of fabric. It’s definitely softer and swishier than the polyester crepe version which I like so you can see why the primary recommended fabric is challis. For me, using the double row of gathering stitches to draw in fabric has never seen me wrong so I’ve done that at the sleeve heads and waist.
As before this is a size M with no other size alterations. For the elastic cuffs I made a small single folded 1cm hem which was stitched 80% of the way around with a gap left to feed my elastic into place. This teeny channel required adding a safety pin to the end of my elastic to help feed it through. I normally like to use my bodkin for elastic channels but it was too tight for that.
I already wore it out twice. Once to dinner with my new colleagues! Sue who is the General Manager of Simplicity, Jackie who leads the Customer Service team and Marilyn who manages the Sew Today digital subscriptions. We went to a lovely new restaurant in Altrincham. Then I enjoyed wearing it so much, I wore it over to dinner at my in-laws house! So what I’ve determined is it’s great for wearing to dinner. It’s dressy enough to feel fancy but loose enough to sit comfortably while I stuff my face. WINNER.
